By Heather Clower
The Parsons Advocate
Several of the familiar faces that have been known to run the offices within the Tucker County Courthouse and Annex will be changing along with the New Year. With 2020 being an election year, it is no surprise that changes were going to be made, however along with those filling elected positions others are headed toward retirement or moving into other offices.
One change that is happening is Investigator for the Prosecutor Kevin Keplinger will be leaving his position to fill the soon to be open Parsons City Chief position. “I had an interview two weeks ago with the Mayor and with the City Council and agreed that when Jake Kopec assumes duties as Sheriff, I will be going to Parsons City as Chief, part-time, over there,” said Keplinger. He took the investigator position in September of 2018 after retiring from the W.Va. State Police with over 23 years in law enforcement.
Keplinger spoke about the differences between being the initial step in the justice system while serving as an officer, to taking on the role of investigator for Prosecuting Attorney, Ray LaMora. He said, “I think I would have been a much better trooper had I been able to spend some time here, it’s a different perspective.” “It really has been an education,” he continued, “Working with Ray’s been great for me.” “I’ve told people that I would never be back in uniform, but when the opportunity presented itself, I thought about it and prayed about it, I considered it and it’s exciting to me, I’m looking forward to it,” Keplinger stated. He added that because of his experience within the prosecution office he will be doing things differently and hopes to share what he has learned with other officers.
Carol Wolford, secretary to the Tucker County PA, will be retiring at the end of 2020. She has been in that position for the last eight years after spending 23 years with Nichols and Nichols Law Office. With numerous tasks associated with the position, a lot of time was spent preparing for the grand jury and court proceedings. When asked what her favorite part of her 31 years as a legal secretary was, she said, “Working with everybody here in the office, we’re all just like a big family.”
Wolford has several grandchildren and great-grandchildren she plans to spend time with once in retirement. Her husband is also retired and she hopes to spend time with him doing things they enjoy. “It was a big decision,” she said but is looking forward to what is to come.
Legal Secretary Helen Harris has devoted a total of 31 years beginning at Mont Miller’s Law Office as a private secretary in 1989. She and Wolford work on gathering documents and answering the phone, and assisting LaMora as he needs. When asked what her plans are for retirement, she responded, “I really don’t have any definite plans, maybe I could spend more time with my husband,” along with helping her parents as needed.
Harris quickly stated that she will miss her job, “And I will miss the people I work with because we’re just like one big happy family here.” “It’s going to be hard leaving” she added.
As a result of the election, Prosecuting Attorney Ray LaMora will be leaving his position after falling short by just a handful of votes. After graduating from law school LaMora went into the oil and gas industry across W.Va. before opening his law practice for a year in Elkins. He then put his name on the ballot for consideration for the Tucker County Prosecuting Attorney position when former PA Mont Miller announced his retirement. LaMora ran and won his first, four-year term. He went on to win a second term where he ran unopposed which gave him eight consecutive years in this position.
When asked what his plans are after the end of the year, he responded, “I always really enjoyed my times in the military, I was just absolutely honored to serve earlier in my life, and really that’s where I see myself going back to if I can.” He has submitted applications with the U.S. Coastguard and the Army National Guard as a hopeful JAG lawyer for one of the two branches. “I wish honestly I’d have stayed in the reserves because I loved the people I was with, I loved what we were doing, and it kept me in shape,” he said. Opening a small firm in the area has also been a consideration along with potentially working for the FBI Center in Clarksburg. “I can’t stress enough how much I have absolutely loved being in this position, being here, and my co-workers,” he said as he reminisced his first days on the jobs and how Wolford and Harris “babysit” him and added how he doesn’t know how he ever survived without Keplinger in the office. “I just want to thank everybody for the opportunity to be here as long as I have,” he concluded.
After meeting term limitations as Tucker County Sheriff, Brian Wilfong will be stepping down from that position to step behind the bench as a newly elected Tucker County Magistrate. Wilfong began his tenure in law enforcement in Preston County in 1985 before coming to Tucker County in 1989 as a deputy. “I retired in 2008 and went to work for the Marshall Service in Elkins,” he explained. When the sheriff position was coming up for election in 2012, Wilfong put his name on the ballot and won two, consecutive four-year terms.
Wilfong put his name on the ballot once again, this time to be considered for one of the two magistrate positions, for which he was successful once again. “I just want to thank everybody that works with and for me,” he said, “They’re the ones that do the hard work, the ones that get things done from the tax office to the deputies, they do an excellent job and they make me proud.”
Similar to Keplinger, Wilfong feels his experience within law enforcement will help him a lot in fulfilling his duties as a magistrate. He has spent a lot of time in court either observing or serving as bailiff, both of which will be beneficial when taking over this new position. “I’m excited to start my new career as a magistrate,” said Wilfong. “I’m going to miss the people,” he added, “It’s been a really good experience; everybody I work with does a fantastic job.”
William “Mont” Miller, currently a Tucker County Magistrate until the end of 2020, is also heading towards retirement which opened up the position that Wilfong was elected to take. Miller came into the position to finish out two of the four years for former Magistrate Carol Irons when she retired. After fulfilling that term, he ran for re-election and was successful in gaining another four years in that position.
Before stepping behind the bench as a magistrate, Miller served as Tucker County Prosecuting Attorney for 32 years and two years in private practice. When asked about the transition from pleading a case versus hearing and trying, he responded, “The biggest difference in the positions is the prosecuting position basically is you’re the chief law enforcement officer in the county, but there’s a caveat to that,” he said. “The prosecutor doesn’t tell the Sheriff’s Deputies or the State Police what to do,” Miller explained. “The only thing the prosecutor is really a chief law enforcement officer over is the criminal case,” he said. “The magistrate is more nuts and bolts,” he continued, “You’re starting the paperwork with the police.” Once the report is brought in, the magistrate decides if there is probable cause, which if there is, a warrant is issued and the procedure begins.
Having been in Tucker County his entire life, it was definitive that Miller would know a large majority of the individuals that would come before him in magistrate court. When asked if that made his job more difficult, he responded, “Actually I think it was a plus.” Having raised his own children in Tucker County and being involved with sports, he had the chance to know a lot of the other kids and multiple generations. “In some ways, in my 32 years, I probably prosecuted some of the same generations and the same families,” he laughed. Miller stated it helped knowing which individuals could cause issues if not put in jail or the ones that have never been in the system and have a clean past.
Retirement plans include spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren, “It’s just time to quit.” He added, “I’ve really enjoyed it, it’s been a learning experience for me even after 34 years practicing law.”
Parsons City Police Chief Jake Kopec put his name on the 2020 election ballot for consideration for the Tucker County Sheriff position, which he was successful in securing. Kopec spent four years in the United States Marine Corp where he left as a Sergeant working in corrections and then entered into the W.Va. State Police. He spent 13 years as a state trooper working his way into a Corporal rank and also served as a swat sniper on the search and rescue team.
Kopec was hired as the part-time Parsons City Police Cheif in November of 2019 where he said his favorite part was, “Working with the staff and the general comradely in the community.” He stated he was looking forward to taking on the duties as sheriff and “Being able to get out in the county and help the people with their wants and needs.” Kopec added, “I’m also very interested and excited about the new expansions in the county and the good things it’s going to bring with more jobs and more opportunities.”
Jon Bush was appointed to fulfill the remaining time of former Tucker County Commissioner Patrick Darlington when he resigned from that position. Bush ran for the position but came up short by just a few votes, with Mike Rosenau winning. Bush has been in this role since July 1, 2019. Attempts were made to contact Bush for a statement but were unsuccessful by deadline.
